10 reasons to be excited about AMT’s new research resource

Yesterday, we officially launched our new, improved graded massage therapy research resource at the AMT Annual General Meeting.

What is this shiny thing, we hear you ask? Let’s start with a bit of history.

Background

Back in 2013, AMT first published a Classified Massage Therapy Research Database using the National Health and Medical Research Council evidence hierarchy. The establishment of this resource was a response to the Australian Government Natural Therapies Review call for submissions, when the then Labor government was considering removing remedial massage and other natural therapies from the private health insurance rebate scheme. The AMT submission and subsequent campaigning played a significant role in ensuring that the health fund rebate for remedial massage was retained. Most other natural therapies were casualties of this process.

The AMT classified database was updated with new studies annually until 2018.

Fast forward to 2024, and the AMT Board signed off on a project to update AMT’s classified research resource, using new bibliographic tools and artificial intelligence to critically appraise and grade evidence. The first stage of this grading project encompasses systematic reviews and meta-analyses of massage therapy. This tranche of work was completed in March 2024.

The new research resource is publicly accessible. It is available to download as an Excel spreadsheet or as a multi-faceted library through your web browser. This tour of the library should help to give you a sense of how incredibly cool the available features are.

Reasons to be cheerful as a practitioner

1. Evidence-informed practice support: Wondering whether there is any evidence that massage therapy can help your client with multiple sclerosis? This resource can help answer that question. It provides a systematic and critically appraised collection of research specifically on massage therapy. It will help you base your treatments on the most reliable, up-to-date evidence, enhancing the efficacy and safety of your practice.
2. Quality grading of evidence: With the inclusion of AI critical appraisal tools, the resource grades studies on their reliability. This will help you quickly identify which studies provide strong evidence and which might be less reliable. The traffic light grading system (green, orange, red) simplifies the process of evaluating the quality of evidence.
3. Focused and relevant content: The resource is built by massage therapists for massage therapists. It focuses exclusively on massage therapy studies so the content is directly applicable to your clinical practice.
4. Easy access and organisation: The resource is available through a publicly accessible library and a downloadable Excel spreadsheet. You can search the tags section in the online library to look for studies relating to a particular population or condition. For example, the demonstration above shows the results for meta-analyses that discuss sleep outcomes. Full free text studies are only a mouse click away.
5. Support for informed decision-making and enhanced communication with clients and other health care practitioners: When a client asks how massage therapy might help them, you can refer directly to studies that show the efficacy of massage therapy. You’ll also be better resourced to make informed decisions about treatment, which improves client outcomes and builds trust, particularly with clients who appreciate evidence-based care. The library will also support any reports and treatment plans you are preparing for third-party compensation bodies such as workers compensation bodies, and may help to build referral network with GPs and other health practitioners.

Reasons to be optimistic about advocacy

1. Establishing credibility: By aligning the resource with established evidence-based standards in health more broadly, AMT can demonstrate a commitment to scientific rigour and accountability. This helps establish the credibility of massage therapy as a healthcare profession in discussions with policymakers.
2. Supporting professional standards: By showing the effectiveness and safety of massage therapy through well-graded research, AMT can advocate for professional standards that protect consumers and appropriately recognise qualified practitioners.
3. Funding and research opportunities: A well-maintained and respected research database can be used to argue for more government funding for research in the field of massage therapy. This could lead to further exploration of its benefits, which in turn enhances the profession’s growth and development.
4. Influencing Health Policy: With robust evidence, AMT can engage more effectively in health policy discussions, advocating for the integration of massage therapy into public health programs. This could lead to broader recognition and acceptance of massage therapy as a viable complement to traditional medical interventions.
5. Public perception and trust: Educating both the public and officials about the evidence-based benefits of massage therapy can increase trust and demand for professional services.

To access the full suite of supporting resources, including our user guide and state of the evidence summary, please visit the research resources section of the AMT website.